Netball
23 September, 2025
Demons, Saints, Warriors claim WFNL netball premierships
Horsham won a nail-biting contest against the Horsham Saints, winning the B grade premiership 39-38.
As the celebrations of the A grade grand final echoed across Anzac Park, the two teams started cautiously.
By the end of the first quarter, the Demons led 8-6.
The minor premiers showed their class after the break, with Phoebe Uebergang and Georgia Baxter standing tall in defence.
Their strong rebounding helped Horsham extend the lead to five goals with a 12-8 second quarter.
The Saints came out firing in the second half, mitigating Horsham’s advantage with slick passing and opportunistic interceptions.
Chelsea Ellis (16 goals) and Violet McGennisken (13) shot well for the Saints in the third quarter, adding 12 goals, levelling the scores at 27-all at the final break.
The Demons lost a heartbreaking grand final in 2024 and history looked set to repeat when the Saints took the lead in the last quarter of the 2025 decider.
However, veteran Hayley Reid (25 goals) stood tall for Horsham, shooting a clutch goal in the dying minutes to give her team the lead.
The sides traded goals in the last minute but the Demons held their nerve to take the one-goal win and the 2025 premiership.
After the game, coach Dan Smith said redemption for the 2024 loss motivated the side to return to the grand final this year.
“Last year that loss really hurt us,” Smith said.
“As a coach I learned a lot after losing the grand final.
“We knew that we just had to focus on one quarter at a time, 60 minutes of game play, and just do our basics.”
Smith said that in the three-quarter-time huddle he challenged his side to rise to the occasion with some choice verbiage.
“I've never sworn out my team before but I gave them a three-quarter-time rev up,” he said.
“Obviously, that's what the team needed.
“However, we just know that sticking to our strengths, doing the basics, that's all you need to do, and you'll get us across the line.
“I’m super-proud of them.”
Horsham goalkeeper Georgia Baxter was named best on court for her defensive battles with Ellis, McGennisken and Sophie Taylor.
Next, the Horsham Saints claimed back-to-back C grade premierships, defeating Horsham 35-35.
The Saints were looking for revenge after the Demons upset their perfect season, winning the semi-final 32-28.
The minor premiers came out firing, taking the first quarter 10-6 thanks to some slick shooting from Kristy Robertson.
The Demons, led by Georgie Hobbs (17 goals) and Bridgette Keath (16 goals), fought back in the second quarter to cut the deficit to just one goal.
The Saints showed why they were the team to beat in the third quarter, scoring 12 points to eight and pushing the lead out to five goals.
With the game on the line, Horsham left nothing on the court and attacked persistently.
However, they could not overcome the defending premiers, going down by just two goals.
Robertson finished with 24 goals, while Rebecca Pohlner 11 added 11.
Saints defender Lottie Sordello was named best on court.
Coach Tegan Ward praised her side for keeping calm during the tense final quarter.
“We knew that we needed to be composed and keep our centres,” Ward said.
“We definitely get around each other.
“We always want the best for each other.
"We're definitely a good, tight-knit group.”
In the final game of the day, Stawell claimed the C reserve premiership, defeating the Horsham Saints 34-24.
The match started tightly, with the Warriors holding a narrow 6-4 lead at the first break.
Stawell extended their advantage through consistent shooting and midcourt pressure, maintaining a two-goal lead to go into the main break ahead 12-10.
A dominant third quarter proved decisive as Stawell piled on 11 goals to the Saints’ seven to create valuable breathing space.
The Warriors finished the game strongly, sealing the victory with another 11-goal quarter to win by 10.
Madi Freeland was named best on court for her midcourt prowess, while Michelle Beaton finished with 24 goals for Stawell, with Kristy Ainley and Al Cameron adding five each.
Saint Ayva Robertson scored 12 goals, Llarnie Fischer added eight and Kahlee Martin finished with four.
